Centaurion
by Exactlywhat
Summary: A/N: In which main characters are a bunch of mythical creatures The Twins' Story
1. Chapter 1

A/N: In which main characters are a bunch of mythical creatures. Inspired by a speedwriting fic I did a long time ago.  
The Twins' Story

The blade swung with deadly accuracy. One last blow to end the fight.

The last petrohound's head thumped to the dusty ground a second before its body did.

Sunstreaker stood over it, his golden armor spattered with fading pink energon. He stomped one hoof and swung his dual, check-shaped swords in a quick loop before subspacing them. Across the arena, Sideswipe stepped over his last kill, another petrohound, this one smaller and faster than the one Sunstreaker had killed. Around them lay the shredded forms of five of the mechanimals that had been set on them.

The crowd watching was going wild.

The Twins were one of the circus's best shows. Not only were they freaks, sharing one spark between the two massive, half-ironhorse, half mech frames, but they were practically unbeatable. All manner of beasts had been set against them. Packs of petrohounds, giant mechawolves, mountain cybercats, tunnel worms, gargantuan wirevipers from the Crystal Forest, even, occasionally, foreign, alien, organic species.

These five petrohounds, though trained to take down solarbucks and other large game, hadn't been the slightest challenge on this day.

But it was still only the beginning. It was only the starting act.

The two half-mechs made their way back to each other, meeting in the middle of the arena. Their frames were already spattered with energon, none of it theirs. It rarely was.

No words were exchanged between the two. They never talked in the arena. They didn't have to. It was the one place they functioned best as one mech, where they let their spark-halves merge on the deepest level they possibly could without physically pressing them together. They weren't Sunstreaker and Sideswipe in the arena – they were one mech in two bodies, thinking, feeling, reacting together, without communication.

Despite the unwillingness of their battles, the merging made their spark sing. Fighting made them whole again.

"Once again!" a mech's voice rang out on a loudspeaker, "The Twins are triumphant! Let's see now how they do against… a sabercat!"

A sigh passed between the halves of the spark. Sabercats were difficult, with their spiny armor and razor manes, not to mention their massive claws and teeth, but it wasn't anything they hadn't fought before.

~Didn't the Ringmaster say something about this being a huge fight for the Prime?~ one of the Twins questioned over their sparklink.

~Best and biggest, always last.~

And the sabercat burst from the cage-tunnel, roaring and screaming.

Both Twins flicked their unique dual swords from their subspace and sprang into motion. Sideswipe quickly pulled ahead, the faster and more maneuverable of the two. Sunstreaker, the stronger and larger of the two, thundered behind, already poised in a move rehearsed in arena after arena, fight after fight, town after city.

Sideswipe and the sabercat clashed first, and the red Twin swung both swords in a long, diagonal, downward slash. The sabercat screeched, a horrible, audio-rending sound, and it leaped sideways. Sunstreaker was right behind, and their opponent once again had to dodge to the side, right back into Sideswipe again.

The two maneuvered the wild, raging mechanimal into the center of the arena, ping-ponging back and forth between them.

The crowd was going as wild as the soon-to-be-offline creature.

It landed a few minor cuts on the Twins – barely drawing any energon. The Twins, however, landed blow after blow, shearing off bits of armor and plating. Sprays of liquids – energon, coolant, joint lubricant, hydraulic fluid – arced in colorful ribbons behind the check-shaped, curved blades.

Soon, the sabercat lay offline before them, torn to pieces, trampled, its destroyed remains still slowly leaking fluids into the dust.

The announcer came on again. "What a marvelous display of talent! What skill! Now, for a real performance…"

A mech with heavy armor and a mace walked through the tunnel. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe turned to face him, waiting for the next beast.

"Sentinel Prime… I present to you a mech from the Wastelands of the South, a slave, sold into our possession specifically for this event. Should he defeat the never-before beaten Twins, he gains his freedom! Should they win… Well, we know what they do to the loser!"

The crowd screamed, calling for energon.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker paced backwards.

They had never fought another mech before, much less fought one to the death. Every fight was against a mechanimal, something not sentient. They had been able to live with the killing then.

~Can't do it, bro,~ Sideswipe murmured as they stepped back again, away from their supposed opponent.

~Can't die, either.~

Their backs hit the wall.

The mech rumbled dangerously, angrily. His optics flared red. The mace twitched and the mech took another large step forward.

Sunstreaker lifted a sword and pointed it in the green mech's direction. "Stay back," he snarled. The first time either of them had ever spoken in the arena.

"Or what? I kill you, I get freedom."

"Stay back."

"No."

There was nowhere for the Twins to go. Their backs, for the first time, were against the wall.

The mech took another step.

Then he swung.

Both Twins sprang apart, one going in each direction. The mace clanged against the arena wall, sending up a shower of sparks.

Faster than either believed possible, the mech recovered and whirled around, mace flying. Its massive, spiked end connected, barely, with Sideswipe's rump. The round armor of his rear right thigh crumpled slightly – not a fatal wound, but painful.

The tap on the rear made Sideswipe lurch forward, then spin around, swords up.

That was when Sunstreaker's front hooves crashed into the mech's back, sending him slamming to the ground.

~Go, Sides. I won't make you do this. I'll take care of him.~ Sunstreaker's face was twisted in a terrible snarl.

Sideswipe hesitated for a moment, torn between his desire to not kill, and his desire to not leave his brother.

The mech under Sunstreaker rolled out from under the crushing hooves, heavy armor barely dented, systems only temporarily stunned.

Loyalty won out.

~Never leaving you, Suns.~

The mech, now on his feet, was already charging at the yellow Twin, mace raised and ready to swing.

Sideswipe was on him before he was within range of Sunstreaker. Dual swords flashed in the evening light, and connected with a clang. One stuck in the armor of the mech's shoulder, the other glanced off his chest.

With a roar, the mech twisted, turning the mace on the red Twin again. Sideswipe skipped back, but his grip on the sword stuck in the shoulder plate failed, and the blade stayed.

Sunstreaker charged in, rearing again, hooves flailing. One hoof caught the mech on the helm, sending him reeling backwards. The other struck the edge of Sideswipe's blade, sending it flying away, toward the far wall.

As he settled back onto all four feet, the yellow Twin's swords swept downward, skipping off the massive chest plate, leaving two long, jagged, parallel scratches.

A trickle of sparkling pink energon started to seep from the scratches as the large mech took a staggering step backward, then raised his weapon again. The mech's face was covered with a heavy mask, but his optics showed his determination, his anger. Sunstreaker stood, poised, blades ready, tail twitching slightly as he waited for his opponent to make another move. Sideswipe, across the arena, walked steadily sideways toward where his own sword had fallen, never turning away from the massive mech in the center of the arena.

The mech growled lowly and glanced behind him, and, seeing Sideswipe down a weapon, decided to go after the red Twin again. For as large as he was, the mech moved quickly, pedes shaking the dusty ground. A piece of armor that had been sheared off of the sabercat crunched under his weight and dust puffed up around every step.

Sunstreaker lurched into motion barely an instant after the mech did. ~Sides, _move_!~

But the red Twin already was moving, hindquarters bunching, then lengthening as he leaped toward their opponent, single sword raised and held in front of him like a lance, face twisted into a snarl, audials flattened to his helm.

The mech roared and swung his mace as the two closed in on each other. Sideswipe's hooves thundered on the ground as he sprang suddenly to the side, dodging the strike, and in the same movement twisted and thrust his sword into the mech's armpit.

This time, with two hands on the grip, the sword came away with its owner, trailing droplets of energon and joint fluid as Sideswipe danced backwards. The mech roared and staggered, but did not fall nor drop his weapon. Sunstreaker did not strike the mech when he approached, but skirted around him until he joined his brother's side. The Twins stood side by side, standing in front of their leaking, massive opponent.

The mech rumbled at them and hefted his mace one-handed, the arm Sideswipe had damaged hanging almost useless at his side.

"Stay back," Sunstreaker growled, taking a half-step forward and lifting one blade slightly in warning. "We don't want to offline you."

"I have no choice! I can't go back. I can only move forward."

Sideswipe took a few more sideways steps until he could lean down his mech half and pick up his lost sword. With it back in his hand, he again stepped to his brother's side. "We really don't want to hurt you," he said, indigo optics dim.

~If we refuse to fight, what will they do?~ the red Twin asked his brother, sending him a worried glance before looking up into the crowd. Mechs were booing, screaming for energon, screaming for the Twins to cut him to pieces, calling for him to batter them to bits. About midway up the stands, there was an enclosed box with tinted windows. Where the Prime was watching. Where Sideswipe and Sunstreaker's owners were watching.

~I don't know.~

~I-~

But the mech was already charging forward again with a roar, mace swinging in a deadly arc.

The Twins sprang again to either side, then trotted around to the other side of the arena, where they met, turned, and faced the larger mech again.

~I really don't want to do this,~ Sideswipe whispered, spark shuddering.

~I know,~ his Twin replied, shuffling his hooves and lifting his blades again as their opponent began marching toward them again. ~He won't give up though. And you know we don't have any help coming here.~ Sunstreaker took a step forward, toward the mech. ~I'll handle this, Sides.~

~Sunny-~ Sideswipe started, but the yellow Twin was already launching forward, heavy hooves churning up dust, dual swords held ready. The mech roared a challenge and lifted his mace. Sunstreaker roared back.

The crowd went silent.

Sideswipe sprang forward, following his brother.

Sunstreaker had the mech well in hand, though. Their opponent was skilled and heavily armored. He blocked most of the strikes the yellow Twin threw his way, and those that he didn't manage to block mostly landed on heavy armor, barely injuring him. But on the other hand, the mech had yet to land a hit on Sunstreaker. Despite being the slower Twin, Sunstreaker was still faster than the mech.

Sideswipe danced around the dueling pair, watching for an opening, sword tips twitching as he followed the deadly exchange of blows. Dirt flew beneath heavy pedes and hooves, the dry dust hanging in the still air, the energon-wet mud falling in dingy clumps.

Suddenly, the red Twin lunged forward and caught the mech's left hand – the one he had injured earlier – as their opponent whipped it upward, a small dagger almost hidden in the bulk of his massive fist. The flat of Sideswipe's sword hit the mech's wrist. The strike did not cause the bulky mech to falter much in his movement, but the jolt of it sent the small blade wheeling through the air.

The crowds of mechs in the stands roared.

Now Sideswipe was in on the dance. The mech was nimble, and managed to keep the two of them in front of him, and managed to block most of their strikes, but he was mostly on the defensive now.

~Sides, back off, I'll finish this,~ Sunstreaker ordered, even his mental voice transmitting as a snarl.

~Never leaving you, Sunny,~ his brother responded as he lashed out with his front hooves at their opponent.

The green mech growled lowly when the low kicks connected, and for a moment, his defense faltered. The mace was lowered slightly, and Sunstreaker lunged.

His sword hit, slid across thick armor, then plunged deep, through a thin gap between the mech's main chestplate and his upper abdominal plating.

For a moment, all was still, silent.

Then the crowd exploded.

The mech slumped slightly, and energon began seeping out around the blade embedded in his torso.

Sunstreaker let go of the sword and stepped back, his brother pacing backwards beside him.

The mech groaned and staggered, tried to lift his mace higher, lowered it until it was level with his waist, glared at the Twins. His optics flared, red almost whited out.

The crowd started up a chant; " _Finish him! Finish him! Finish him!_ "

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker stood, side by side, looking at the green mech, now on his knees.

" _No,_ " they said together, and turned around.

The crowd booed.

The Twins had barely taken a step when there was a soft sound behind them, and a mace came screaming down on Sunstreaker's rump.

The yellow Twin let out a screech and reared, wheeling on his hind hooves.

Sideswipe was faster, though, whirling around, swords flying in a sparkling arc, face twisted in a rage-filled snarl. The green mech, arms still extended from striking Sunstreaker, weak and slow from pain, sword still driven deep into his chassis, could barely react.

The red Twin's first sword struck him across the neck plating, denting and scoring the metal before sliding off. His second sword hit precisely on the same line, and the damaged metal split beneath the razor edge. The mech's masked face showed no expression, but his red optics surged crimson, before dimming to a dull maroon. Energon gushed from the wound, spattering across his own chest and Sideswipe's.

His head wasn't completely disconnected from his frame, but the amount of energon flooding from his body was enough to have him offlined in a matter of breems.

Sideswipe stared, horrified, as the mech fell to his knees, then to his side, limbs crumpled unnaturally beneath him, optics dim.

Sunstreaker limped up to stand besides Sideswipe. With a heavy vent, he lifted his remaining sword and drove it under the mech's chest plate, angled upward. Spark energy rushed along the blade, silvery sparks dancing in a morbid firework show.

~Better than to die slow,~ he offered to his brother. ~Thank you.~

The crowd was roaring, cheering, stamping their feet. Never had the Twins heard a crowd make such a noise at the defeat of their foe.

Sideswipe reached a hand out, and Sunstreaker took it.

More to be posted, IDK when. RL is crazy and I don't have tons of time to write. It WILL get written, though! ... Eventually. :-P


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Not beta'd, did my best to edit, if you see any errors/typos/grammar problems/etc, feel free to let me know. :)  
Enjoy!

 **...**

Chapter 2  
The Twins stood still in their cage. It was a dim, dingy thing on wheels that could be pulled by a large-frame hauler. It was the only place they had to themselves, and even then, it wasn't much of anything. A bare, rectangular box with three solid walls and a set of swinging barred doors on the back. The circus staff threw some crygrass down on the floor for bedding every so often, and each Twin had in their subspace a thin thermal blanket.

Besides the trailer-cage, the Twins rarely saw anything but the arena, and the view out of the back of the trailer, which usually consisted of the circus staff at their business and their own movable trailer habitations.

Today was different, though. A distance off, just out of audio range, a crowd gathered around a massive red and silver mech and the Twins' owner. The red and yellow mech and the owner gesticulated and pointed, and though the two half-sparked mechs could hear raised voices, they could not make out any words. They had been in discussion for at least five breems now, and the Twins were starting to get nervous, especially because a lot of the pointing was in their direction.

Eventually, the two mechs broke apart. The red and silver walked away, out of the Twins' view, and most of the other mechs around them followed. The Twins' owner watched the other mechs walk away, then turned and walked in the opposite direction, shooting an odd glance toward the Twins a moment before he was also out of their view.

~What was that all about?~ Sideswipe queried as he glanced over his shoulder at his golden brother, who was standing in the deeper, darker recesses of the trailer.

~Who knows. Probably something that will end in more pit for us to go through.~

Sideswipe shuddered and clenched his hands into fists. He could still feel the sensation of his sword punching through that thin collar plating. The image of sparklight flickering along his brother's sword seemed like it was burned into his optics. He couldn't stop the memory file from replaying, over and over and over… and there was nothing to distract him in their tiny box besides his brother, and his brother was in much the same situation he was.

Neither of the Twins moved from their positions. Sideswipe remained watching out the bars at the limited view, and Sunstreaker stood in the back of the trailer, in the semi-darkness, his uninjured left side leaning against the wall, his right rear leg lifted to keep the weight off. Sideswipe had performed what limited medical assistance he was capable of when they had been returned to the trailer, but there was not much he could do for the massive dent in Sunstreaker's rump. It would just have to heal on its own, just as most of their injuries did. Only the most severe were treated, and those only happened rarely.  
So the Twins stood and waited and watched and listened.

. . .oOo.

The arena was even louder than the day before, it seemed. How, Sunstreaker wasn't sure. All arenas were deafening already, so much so that usually, the Twins had to turn down their audio intake. But the roar this crowd was producing thundered in the yellow Twin's struts, shaking him to his core, making it seem like even if he had turned his audios completely off, he still would have been able to hear it.

Sideswipe felt the same. He shuffled his hooves minutely, lifting one, setting it down, lifting another, setting it down, shifting his weight from side to side.

Both had their dual swords gripped firmly in hand. Sunstreaker's right haunch was still dented in massively, crimping tension lines and wires. It made him nervous.

The speakers crackled to life, the voice thundering in an attempt to be heard over the crowd. Sunstreaker couldn't make out any individual words, just the familiar rumbling rise and fall of their owner's attempts to be theatrical.

Muffled beneath the noise of the crowd, the creak of the gate their opponent would come through seemed silent, eerily so. The ground shuddered under their hooves as the crowd stomped their feet, clapped, screamed, whistled, shouted, anything to add to the noise, so the Twins didn't feel the vibration of the coming monster.

Then it was springing into the light, its roar drowning out even that of the crowd. The tunnelworm was the largest either of them had ever seen, its churning circular mouth full of rotating teeth, a darkened channel of razors and saws leading to a faintly glowing, indeterminate end.

It writhed in the sudden light, its heavily armored sides glistening a dull gray in the heavy illumination of the stadium.

Sideswipe and Susntreaker hadn't moved, staring in awe at the monster before them. Then it was getting too close, mouth end or not. It was large enough that it could crush them easily without even trying, so the brightly colored Twins skittered to the side.

Beady yellow optics flickered around the mouth in a glaring, hungry circle. Despite being a creature from below, tunnelworms had an oddly acute sense of vision, and when the Twins moved, it saw them.

The Twins knew how it went. The mechanimals they were supposed to fight were starved and tortured. This one would be no different, and they were the closest source of food.

It reared back and spit as its churning teeth spun, paused, spun again. The noise drown out its hissing scream.

The split-sparked mechs raised their swords and split apart, dancing lightly on their hooves. The tunnelworm hissed again, flecks of grayish liquid spraying from its mouth as it weaved back and forth like a charmed cobra for a moment, looking back and forth between the moving forms.

It lunged at Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker darted in, swords poking with deadly accuracy. Two yellow optics shattered, and the beast reared back, then swung in toward the yellow Twin.

Its other optics flared and flashed irregularly, looking like a more deadly version of the tacky lights that flashed around pleasure-house signs. Its teeth churned as it reared back again. The crowd screamed, calling for death, gore, energon.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker stomped their hooves and lifted their swords. Their sparks hummed in sync, their thoughts faded from verbal communications to a base form, animalistic in some sense, berzerker warrior in another.

They attacked, swords flashing in deadly arcs. Sparks fizzled and flew where the charged blades scraped the thick plating. The tunnelworm writhed, coiling over and under itself trying to keep up with the dancing, lithe forms of the two mechs.

It rolled suddenly, knocking Sideswipe backwards, and if Sunstreaker hadn't danced in and poked at an optic, it would have crushed the red mech.

The crowd roared again.

Sideswipe staggered back toward the wall, trying to regain his footing in the loose sand. His left side ached where the worm had smashed into him. Gray streaks marred his red plating.

Sunstreaker was occupying the beast for the moment, dashing this way and that, using its own massive bulk to hide behind, but the red Twin could tell that his brother was favoring his injured rear leg. So he charged back in, ignoring the pains in his own frame. Those could be dealt with later.

There were other things he had to handle now.

. . .oOo.

The trailer lurched, startling the Twins out of their already restless recharge. Sunstreaker stumbled away from the wall he had been leaning against, almost falling to his knees, barely managing to catch himself, hissing as he put weight on his injured haunch. Sideswipe, who had eventually sunk to his knees near the open back end of the trailer, lurched to his hooves and smacked his shoulder into the side wall of the trailer, optics flaring white as the impact rattled his battered frame. The crygrass on the floor slipped under their already tenuous footing as they struggled to remain upright.

~Sunny?~ Sideswipe called over their bond and reached a hand out to his brother.

The yellow Twin didn't respond, only took the offered hand as they watched the dark, starlit scene from behind their bars.

Mechs rushed to and fro, bundles of this or that in their arms. Hauler mechs were in their alternate modes, already hooked up to trailers and pull-behinds and cages holding other freaks and mechanimals and slaves. The owner of the circus hustled around, looking harried and stressed as he did the best he could to direct the chaos.

What made the whole thing strange was the hushed quiet that filled the night. Mechs whispered, there was no laughter, no shouting. Haulers already idling kept their engines low and quiet, there was no revving or showing off. The thump of gear being stowed was muffled as things were set down carefully, not thrown haphazardly.

Their trailer lurched again. Other mechs and haulers were beginning to pull away as well.

Sideswipe's ears pricked as two mechs speed-walked past them.

"- we'll be able to make it?"

"Dunno, Prime really wanted those two." The words were accompanied by a gesture over his shoulder toward the Twins. "After what they did to that worm..."

And the mechs were gone, beyond the Twins' audial range.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker exchanged a glance. Prime "wanted them"?

The trailer lurched again, and started moving in earnest. A hauler fell in behind, and a few mechs they recognized as members of the circus's security force fell in around them.

~Don't think they've ever been charged with protecting _us_ before,~ Sunstreaker remarked, almost laughing.

~Yeah, normally its the other way around.~

Their sparks beat irregularly in nervous tension. Fighting, they were used to. Being hauled around, they were used to.

Being taken secretly out of the capitol of Northern Cybertron because the Prime wanted them for some reason? Definitely not used to that.

Sideswipe stepped backward until he was side to side with his brother, their backs to the back of the trailer, facing the open end, and they watched the darkness slip by.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Two orns of constant movement had passed. The owner of the circus had barely allowed his mechs to stop so the haulers could refuel before pushing them on.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker could tell they were headed south, away from Iacon, probably toward the equator, and the border between North and South Cybertron. The creaking and swaying of their trailer-cage was familiar, and in a strange kind of way, comforting. If it was moving, they weren't expected to do anything but rest, so rest they did. After the first orn of travel, and as much recharge as their troubled defrag cycles would allow, they had polished each other, doing their best to clean off the grime of the arena. It took a long time; the tunnelworm's energon and their own had dried, cementing the dust and rust to their armor.

After doing all they could to clean up, they had simply watched what scenery they could out the bars of the trailer. In the light, they could see the hills and valleys slowly filling with crystal and mineral growths, the northern wastelands slowly transforming into the more lush and life-filled equatorial environments. The road they were did not seem to be well traveled. It was bumpy and slow, and they rarely passed other travelers.

Trying to avoid attention, they concluded, their owner had chosen old, back-road routes, not the massive highways between city-states that channeled most of Cybertron's ground traffic these ages.

They spent the second orn doing what they could to avoid thinking of their two fights in Iacon.

. . .oOo.

Sideswipe's chronometer read half a joor before the middle of the dark cycle when the shouting began.

Sunstreaker gave his brother a look when a scream echoed through the valley, followed by the sound of swords clashing.

~Get ready, brother,~ the yellow Twin whispered, and checked his subspace. His swords were there, easily accessible.

The red Twin nodded and did the same, shifting his weight from side to side.

With a staggering lurch, their hauler hit the accelerator, and they picked up speed. Other mechs raced around them, some going the same way, others going back toward where the screaming and shouting were coming from.

Then, with the sound of tearing metal, their trailer rolled. Sideswipe screamed as his frame was thrown into his brother's. Sunstreaker huffed, then grunted as they landed on what was normally the wall. Crygrass fluttered down around them as the trailer creaked and groaned and settled. The screaming was all around them now, and through bleary, stunned vision, Sunstreaker could see mechs rushing past their trailer's open end.

Then someone stopped in front of them.

~Sides. _Sides._ Get up.~

Sideswipe groaned and flailed, then managed to get his hooves under him. Sunstreaker pushed him up, then hefted his own bulk upright.

The mech was silhouetted against the lighter backdrop of the sky, so they couldn't make out his colors, only that he was massively large and heavily armored, with a massive broadsword in his hand. Without warning, he lifted the sword and brought it down on the now horizontal bars of the sideways trailer. Sparks flew. The bars dented slightly, but didn't give.

"It's no use," Sideswipe said, and the mech jumped. Sideswipe subspaced his own sword as he stepped forward, and hacked at the bars himself. "We've tried," he offered with a shrug.

The mech hesitated for a moment, then turned slightly and raised his sword again. With a _CLANG_ that rattled the whole cage, the locking mechanism on the top (once the right side of the trailer) sparked and broke. The mech reached out with one hand and yanked at the bars, but they wouldn't move. The trailer, on its side and tilted precariously, jammed the swinging door closed.

With a growl, the mech swung his sword again, this time at the hinges on the other side of the door, but before he could connect the blade and the metal, another mech charged into his side and dragged the mech out of view of the Twins.

Without warning, Sunstreaker gathered his legs under him and launched himself forward in a massive horizontal leap, putting his whole strength and weight into it. He ducked his head and his shoulder connected with the bars, and with a shriek of metal on metal, the door shifted slightly. He backed away, and launched himself again, and this time, the bars scraped past the frame and fell on the ground.

For the first time in a long time, the Twins looked out the back of their trailer without bars in the way.

~Come on!~ Sunstreaker urged as he regained his footing. Sideswipe leaped over the bars and took stock of the situation outside with his Twin.

Fires were burning along the line of the moving circus, or what was left of it. They could see three offlined mechs off on the edge of the road, energon still seeping in a growing pool around them. Screams echoed from farther back down the line, and an explosion rocked the ground ahead of them. Crystal forests grew around them, massively tall, thick growths spreading crystaline tendrils above them, shattering the dim starlight into rainbow pinpricks in the sky.

"There they are!" a voice roared, and the Twins jumped. A mech was charging toward them, a massive warhammer in hand. "Whoever can capture the split-sparks will be rewarded a million credits, per order of the Prime!" the mech shouted, and suddenly, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were the center of attention. Mechs began rushing toward them.

They didn't have time to think or talk or make any response. Instinct drove them, and they listened, and they ran.

Off the road, up the hill, into the forest. Hooves pounded on the semi-soft ground as they ran, dodging crystaltrees and low growing mineral bushes and vines. Mechs shouted behind them.

They ran without direction, only knowing they needed distance.

When they began to outpace those following, a fierce joy began to rise in their sparks. This was what they were _made_ for. The ground was swallowed beneath their massive strides, their pains and injuries forgotten in the freedom of finally, _finally_ being able to _run_!

For the first time they could remember, there were no walls, no cages, no bars, no restrictions. As far as they could see was open, wild forest.

Only an arrow whistling through the trees and shattering a small crystal growth to their left reminded them that they weren't free yet. Sideswipe glanced backward.

~They're on ironhorses,~ he offered his Twin. Sunstreaker just snarled as he leaped over a fallen crystaltree.

~Doesn't matter. We can still outpace them.~

Sideswipe glanced back again. He had his doubts – if the mechs hadn't had ironhorses, they definitely would have been able to. No mech would be able to keep up with them in the forest, not in alt mode, not in bipedal mode. Ironhorses were just as maneuverable as the Twins themselves, though.

~Don't doubt,~ the yellow Twin hissed over their bond. ~Just run!~

And he pushed his own passion at finally being able to do just that at his brother. Sideswipe took that feeling and pushed his own fears away, and let his hooves carry him on.

. . .oOo.

He could tell they were starting to slow, and he didn't like it. They hadn't heard their pursuers in joors, but that didn't mean they weren't still following, and Sunstreaker knew they had ways of following even if they couldn't see. So he pushed his Twin, and himself, onward, southward, toward some hope of the same freedom the circus owner had been seeking and failed to find.

~Suns,~ Sideswipe called as he slowed his canter to a trot, ~I need to refuel. You do too. We're still healing. If we can't rest, we need energon.~

Sunstreaker knew he was right, and so slowed himself, but didn't stop. ~Refuel as you move. Please, Sides.~

Sideswipe, tired though he was, could feel the urge that was pushing his brother. They couldn't go back. If they did, he knew they would die. Who knew what the Prime wanted them for, but they knew it wouldn't be good. Not if that second fight was anything to go by – they had concluded that the tunnelworm had been the Prime's idea, a test perhaps, or a way to keep them in town a while longer, or some other farce. If he had sent mechs out with orders that the whole circus troupe could be offlined in order to capture the Twins...

But that didn't bear thinking of. They just needed to keep moving, so Sideswipe did as his brother asked, pulling a cube out of subspace and cracking it without slowing his easy trot.

. . .oOo.

It was well after dark when they stumbled across the small cavern in the side of a steep hill. Sideswipe had spotted it, a darker depression in the ground surrounded by the vaguely luminous crystal growths. Without question, they headed toward it and stepped inside. It was empty, save for a large amount of soft, small metallic growths covering the walls and floor.

They sank to their knees and fell into recharge, abused and tired systems finally given a rest.

. . .oOo.

Sunlight filtering through the trees and into the cavern woke them. For a bleary moment, Sunstreaker couldn't remember where he was. There were no bars, no loud sounds of the circus...

Then his optics focused and he looked out at the forest around them. It was quiet. A light wind made crystal branches above them tinkle together with a sound like windchimes. Some kind of small, flying creature chirruped in the distance, answered by another of its kind somewhere slightly closer.

The yellow Twin allowed himself a moment to simply enjoy the quiet before he stood, and Sideswipe stood with him.

"Finally," the red Twin said out loud, and Sunstreaker smiled. It was nice to be able to talk without dozens of mechs listening in.

"Yes. Let's keep moving, though. I won't feel safe until we're well past the southern border."

"How do we know when we get there?" Sideswipe asked as he led the way out of the cave, looking up and around at the wildness surrounding them.

"I don't know."

They limped up the hill back to the same game trail they'd been following the night before. After resting, their injuries had reasserted their presence in the form of stiffness and sharp pains when limbs were pushed too far.

But the Twins were no stranger to pain, and ignored it, slowly working the tenseness out of their long legs, their arms, the rest of their bodies.

They shared a cube between the two of them, knowing their stores were limited (Sideswipe had two left, Sunstreaker had three).

The sun was almost directly above them, but the trail seemed to keep a pretty straight course, mostly south and a little bit west, so they stayed on it.

"Do you remember when we lost them?" Sideswipe asked suddenly, thinking back to the previous night and day and night.

"Kinda. Last I remember, I heard one of them back in that one valley with all the thorny fiber-vines. I've got a feeling they're still following us somehow, but we have a little bit of space between us. And as long as we stay under the trees, they can't send fliers after us."

Sideswipe looked up at the branches above them. Multicolored crystals fractured the light and chimed softly. "We should probably move a little faster, then," the red Twin murmured, a strange feeling tickling deep in his spark.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The edge of the forest was more abrupt than either Twin would have expected.

The crystal trees seemed to stop growing on a line that stretched as far east and west as either Twin could see, flat and straight and unnaturally precise. They shared a look. This would be as far south as they would be able to get under the cover of trees.

~What do you think?~ Sunstreaker asked, shifting nervously from hoof to hoof.

The trail led on to the south, into the dusty, hilly terrain. Another crossed the path they were on, heading east and west along the treeline.

Sideswipe took a step forward, past the last of the massive crystalline trunks. ~Don't know. Is this the border?~

They hesitated a moment longer. ~Could be. We're probably safer the farther south we go…~

That decided it for them, and they began a long-legged, steady lope forward, the sun high in the sky above them.

On and on they ran, for joors, dust kicked up under their hooves leaving a ghostly trail behind them. Their vents came heavy but even, and their aches and pains faded into a dull numbness under the pounding of their pedefalls. They exchanged few words, aloud or through the bond, both with only a single thought running through their processors. _Escape._

Daylight faded into dusk, and their canter turned into a trot, then a walk.

As the larger of Cybertron's two moons rose in the sky, stars sparkling around it, they stumbled to a stop.

"Think we're safe for the moment?" Sideswipe asked as he pulled a cube from his subspace, the last one he had, and handed it to his Twin.

Sunstreaker took it and gulped a mouthful, then handed it back with a shrug. "Haven't seen any signs of anyone at all for joors. Probably."

The red Twin drank a mouthful himself and passed it back. "Where are we going, anyhow?" he mused aloud, looking out at the horizon where the second moon was rising. Only now was he beginning to wonder what they would do now, now that they were on their own.

"Away from all the killing, is all I know," Sunstreaker replied after his turn with the cube.

Sideswipe shuddered and nodded. He emptied the cube, dispersed it, and shook himself, resettling his plating with a rattle. ~Suns…~

The yellow twin stepped forward and rested the crest of his helm against that of his brother's. ~Don't be afraid,~ he whispered, half to himself, ~We're together, that's all that matters.~

They stayed that way for a long moment, the quiet wind hissing lightly across the rusty sands.

Then they both pulled away, long audials twitching. A deep, subsonic rumble shook the ground.

The Twins' shared spark shivered in their casings.

~ _Run,_ ~ they both hissed, and they sprang into motion, hooves pounding on the hard packed trail. They could feel the rumble in the air, now, making the world shake.

They galloped, as fast as they could, audials pressed flat to their helms, mech-torsos stretched out almost flat.

Sunstreaker risked a glance behind them, and on the horizon, a speck, moving against the stars.

~Fliers.~

They kept running, but despair was growing in their shared spark.

The rumble grew louder, into a whining roar, and was growing ever louder.

Without missing a step, Sideswipe pulled his swords from subspace. Sunstreaker did the same, and they shared a glance.

~Not going down without a fight.~

The fliers were almost on them now, they could feel the air shake around them. One raced over their helms and spun, settling down on the road ahead of them. A shuttle mech, they could see it lowering its back loading ramp, and mechs poured out. Five of them, all heavily armored and armed.

The Twins didn't stop running, their swords a familiar weight in their hands. Sideswipe glanced behind, and watched another two shuttles land and more mechs race out.

Then they were on the first five, and everything devolved into the chaos of battle. Hooves lashed out with swords, and the lead mech fell under Sunstreaker's blows. The mech behind him blocked Sideswipe's swords with a small shield and ducked under, lifting his mace. The red Twin danced backward, and Sunstreaker lashed sideways, slicing between the thin plating of the wrist, and the mace, along with the mech's hand, went flying. Sideswipe took the opening and lunged, plunging his sword deep into the mech's chassis. With a yank, he pulled out and in the same motion swept his other sword along the mech's neck plating, slashing through armor and lines and cables. A spray of fluid, and the mech was down.

Sunstreaker had engaged another of the mechs, this one with a longsword. The two others from the same shuttle hung back, and Sideswipe could see them looking behind them. With a start, the red Twin remembered the two other shuttles and spun, turning to face the other mechs. They were almost on them.

~Got'cha back,~ he told his Twin fiercely and lifted his swords as the mechs approached. Then they were surrounded. Flank to flank, the Twins fought, lashing out with swords and hooves, striking blow after blow.

Sideswipe was the first to bleed, from a strike from the side. The mech who dealt it fell quickly after, but the Twins were tired, exhausted after orns of running on little fuel, and many more injuries followed. Eventually, with seven mechs down, the remaining mechs pulled back at an unheard command, circling the Twins just out of reach of their weapons. They were trapped, and they knew it.

A large mech stepped forward, his green and black plating shimmering in the moonlight. An evil grin twisted his faceplates.

"Looks like we get the bounty, mechs."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

They were bound, their hands behind their backs and chained to collars at their necks, chains attached to their ankles, linking all four of their hooves, allowing them only the smallest of shuffling steps. The big mech in charge had taken their swords. They had been led to one of the shuttles, and despite their reluctance, were led on board.

It rose into the sky, the Twin's first time being airborne, and though they were held in the center of the cargo area, chained to the floor and each other and to each wall, they could see, barely, though the small viewports along each side of the shuttle. The horizon dropped away, and stars speckled the darkness. A moon flashed by as the shuttle turned, and they staggered as it abruptly picked up speed.

The mech in charge stood in front of them, looking impossibly smug and arrogant, one of Sideswipe's swords in his left hand, one of Sunstreaker's in his right. Five of the other mechs he was commanding surrounded the Twins, weapons drawn and at the ready.

"You two put up a good fight," the green and black mech rumbled, his voice a hoarse rasp. "And a good chase. We've been on you for four orns."

Neither Twin said anything, they just stood and watched warily.

"Hm, I thought I had you back on the road to Kalis. Your circus troupe wasn't that hard to destroy…" He lifted both swords to rest on his shoulders and stepped forward. "They barely put up a fight. And my mechs have been too long without a taste of killing." Another step. "They're all dead, you know."

~Does he think that will anger us, or gain him sympathy?~ Sunstreaker hissed across their bond.

Another step, and he was face to face with Sideswipe. "You two, though… I don't think I've ever lost so many mechs on a single bounty. I wonder…" he mused as he turned to face Sunstreaker, barely an arm's length away, "if the bounty is any good without your helms attached." Suddenly, both swords were at the Twins' necks, sharp edges pressing against the thinner armor there.

Neither Twin so much as twitched as they morbidly noted that it was the other's sword which would strike the blow, should it land. The green and black mech held the blades there, meeting each Twin's optics and staring for a long moment before slowly lowering the swords and turning away.

"Pity the Prime wants you online. Your helms would make fine decorations. Guess I'll just have to settle with these," he rasped with a chuckle as he walked away, their swords dangling from his hands.

. . .oOo.

They had been chained and flying for a little over two joors when the shuttle began to descend. The mechs around them, still on guard despite the Twins' statue-like behavior, started to move around.

The shuttle landed with a rattling thump and the Twins staggered. Four mechs detached the chains from the walls and held them, all four keeping a distance. They pulled the chains, maneuvering the Twin around to face the doors.

The green and black mech walked back in to the cargo area, his heavy pedesteps announcing himself before his smirking faceplates came into view. "Well, well, we made it, and I'm about to have a million credits in my hands. Welcome to your new home, freaks." The bay door dropped, revealing a well-lit landing pad and lines of armed mechs standing at attention. "Welcome to Iacon."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: The last three chapters I posted were all screwed up with html code, but hopefully its fixed now! Not beta'd, so if you see any errors/typos, please let me know!

* * *

Chapter 6

The Twins were yanked forward, stumbling over their chained ankles as they shuffled down the ramp. The lines of mechs eyed them as they walked across the landing pad.

A large mech, red and silver, one they recognized as the mech who had argued with their owner what seemed like vorns ago, waited in the center of the armed mechs with a stern look on his face. The green and black mech strode forward, much faster than his captives, to meet the massive mech.

"My Lord Prime!" he crowed, "I have the mechs you seek."

"Lockdown. Welcome back. Carryon will take care of your reward," he rumbled as he gestured a smaller turquoise mech forward. "My mechs will take these two from here."

"Yes, my Lord, thank you, my Lord," the black and green mech rasped as he dipped into a low bow, then followed the turquoise mech past the lines of guards. Four of those guards stepped forward at a motion of the Prime's hand, taking the chains from Lockdown's mechs, who returned to the shuttle.

"Get rid of those chains on their pedes."

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker stood still as two mechs rushed to follow the Prime's orders, bending down and removing the shackles. Neither Twin twitched, both staring at the Prime with intense, burning optics. As soon as the chains were removed, the Prime spun on his heel and strode inside a massive, arched doorway. His guards followed, and the four holding the Twins pulled them along too.

The doorway led to a massive hallway, and from there they were led through another doorway into a massive room, larger than any arena the Twins had ever seen, with vaulted ceilings etched with designs in precious metals and jewels. To their left, the Prime was already seated on a gilded throne, his guards stationed along the walls behind him and to either side. The Twins were led to stand before him.

One guard standing at the foot of the throne stepped forward. "Kneel before your Lord, the Prime," he intoned, and swept a long spear in their direction. The mechs holding their chains gave a sharp yank, and the Twins staggered and exchanged a glance, but did not tuck their legs beneath them.

"Are they even intelligent?" the Prime asked from his slouch on the throne.

They both narrowed their optics at the massive mech and flicked their audials, but did not respond.

"Can they even talk?"

"The circus master claimed they could, my Lord Prime, and that they had at least limited intelligence," a short gray mech standing off to the side said as he took a step forward and tapped at a datapad. "He said they were captured far to the west, in the Rusted Plains."

"Well, then, I will just assume you understand me, freaks," the Prime rumbled. "You have a choice, here. You can become my guards, or you can fight for my amusement until you offline." There was a long pause as the Prime looked at them expectantly and they stared back. The red and silver mech's superior smile slowly morphed into a scowl. "Last chance, freaks. This is your only chance. Once your decision is made, it is final."

The Twins exchanged a glance, then Sunstreaker took a half step forward. Guards bristled, pointing swords and spears in his direction.

"We will be your guards on one condition."

"You have no negotiating power here," the Prime rumbled, though a small smile began to turn the corners of his mouth.

"Lockdown took our swords," Sideswipe said, taking a half step to come even with his brother. "We need those back, and we will guard you with our spark."


End file.
